LABOUR now have two local heavyweight battle-hardened gladiators preparing to do battle for the post of elected mayor of Birmingham.

Sir Albert Bore, the veteran councillor, has recently announced his candidature.

Sion Simon, former MP and government minister, made his interest known before the last general election.

Sion stood down as an MP from his safe Erdington seat specifically to concentrate on becoming the elected mayor.

Albert makes much of his undoubted prowess as a regeneration agent, Europhile funding expert and former city boss from 1999–2004. I recall Albert more or less inventing economic regeneration.

This was in the days when the gargantuan figure of Sir Richard Knowles led our city.

Sir Albert served his apprenticeship at the feet of Sir Richard. Sir Richard drove strategies which transformed Birmingham’s declining light industrial base to the service-led regional giant we are today.

I spoke to Sir Albert about his plans to rebuild our manufacturing base. I was reassured that he doesn’t want to reinvent sunset industries, but instead drive sunrise manufacturing sectors.

This will undoubtedly include building up our solid automotive base. With automotive giants BMW, MG and Jaguar Land Rover established in and around Birmingham, we have an awesome industrial platform.

But no gladiatorial fight will erupt between Sir Albert and Sion just yet. Their first battle is to secure a ‘Yes’ vote in next May’s referendum.

This is the first phase of each campaign strategy and one that will doubtless expend a great deal of energy. I fully expect and would like to see Birmingham return a ‘Yes’ vote. Only then will the gloves come off. I look forward to that as well.

Readers please be aware that the creation of an elected mayor will not do away with the Lord Mayor.

Think of the Lord Mayor as being like the Queen, pageantry but little power – the elected mayor being like the Prime Minister, power but little pageantry.